KP/Permanente weighs in on proposed rule on HC rights

Kaiser Permanente and The Permanente Medical Group have submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to weigh in on a proposed rule that addresses “Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care.”

The letter notes that, “[The] Proposed Rule fails to acknowledge that conscience objections may conflict with patient rights and professional obligations and fails to suggest or even allow for acceptable practices that balance the rights of the workforce with the needs of patients. A Final Rule should interpret the statutory language to balance the conscience protections of the health care workforce with the needs and rights of patients.”

It also points out that, “The Proposed Rule is at odds with numerous Department policies that place the patient at the center of health care delivery and focus on measurable quality of care, patient satisfaction, and access.”

KP/Permanente offers its recommendations for improving the proposed rule in the letter.